Police have arrested two men in connection with separate incidents of sexual assault and rape targeting young girls in Sonargaon upazila under Narayanganj district. The arrests were made following police operations in the Hatkopa and Dakshin Sholapara areas of Sonargaon municipality on Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon. The suspects have been identified as Md Nurul Haq, son of Morshed Alam from Hirapur village in Noakhali’s Sonaimuri upazila, and Md Ilias, son of Abdul Mannan from Dakshin Sholapara in Sonargaon. Both men face formal charges under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act and were produced before a Narayanganj court on Wednesday.
According to police reports and local accounts, the first incident took place on Tuesday afternoon in Dakshin Sholapara, where a four-year-old girl was playing near her home. The suspect, Md Ilias, allegedly lured the child into his house under the pretext of giving her sweets and shop treats. Once inside, he subjected the child to sexual abuse. The victim subsequently informed her mother, who alerted local residents before filing a formal complaint at Sonargaon Police Station on Tuesday night. On Wednesday afternoon, incensed neighbours surrounded Ilias’s residence, detaining him until police arrived at the scene to take him into custody.
In a separate incident on Tuesday afternoon, a five-year-old girl visited a grocery shop owned by Md Nurul Haq in the Hatkopa neighbourhood to purchase crisps. Taking advantage of the empty shop and surrounding area, Nurul Haq enticed the child inside, muffled her mouth, and forcibly raped her. The young victim fell ill after returning home and disclosed the ordeal to her family. Outraged relatives and local residents confronted Nurul Haq at his shop, beating him before officers led by Sonargaon Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Abdul Barik arrived on Tuesday night to arrest the suspect following a case filed by the child’s father.
Providing details on the ongoing legal and medical proceedings, OC Mohammad Abdul Barik confirmed that both suspects were remanded in custody following their court appearance in Narayanganj. Medical examinations for one of the victims have already been completed at Narayanganj Victoria Hospital, while arrangements were finalised to conduct examinations for the second child at the same facility. Police confirmed that further legal action will proceed in accordance with court directives.
